The first ever smartphone, IBM Simon, was unveiled in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1992.
By Nicole Williams
Many people remember their first smartphone, but today marks the 23rd anniversary of the first smartphone that ever existed.
IBM Simon was introduced on this day in 1992 at a trade show in Las Vegas, Nev.
The phone featured the ability to send and receive faxes and emails, a revolutionary development for cellular devices at the time.
“When email was first introduced to the phone, it changed it into a multimedia device,” said Ryerson University wireless telecommunications professor Xavier Fernando.
“It was no longer just for talking over the phone but for communication in many forms.”
Much has changed for the smartphone since IBM Simon and not just the downsize.
Contemporary smartphones give users constant and often unlimited access to the internet, from streaming YouTube videos to FaceTime.
Fernando said the development of smartphone technology has accelerated at an intense pace, much faster than that of computer technology.
“Practical functionality of the smartphones have made it an essential part of many peoples’ lives,” said Fernando.
Though the IBM Simon seems like light years ago, the modern day smartphone user has much to owe to the 23-year-old model.
Here’s a look at just how far smartphones have come.
And it’s not over yet.
Reports have said smartphone companies working on possible developments in laser and solar technology.
The pace of technological advancement has exceeded all expectations, but it is yet to be seen just how far we can go.